Govt slams UN report on Arms Trafficking; demands apology

THE government has demanded an immediate apology from the United Nations, following publication of a report that implicates Tanzania with illegal arms supply to rebels operating in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo against Congolese and Rwandan governments.

Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation Minister, Bernard Membe, rubbished the UN report released last week, describing it as malicious and a fabricated lie, bent to tarnish the countrys good image.

It is an act of hostility for which we find it difficult to remain silent. It is not acceptable. We deserve to be treated better. We deserve and demand an apology, said Mr Membe, during a press conference here today.

The minister said since the report came out, the government had been wondering, where in Tanzania these weapons would be sourced from. Unfortunately, the report does not shade any light on the matter.

All that it does is to offer second hand quotes, hearsays, farfetched assumptions and stretched extrapolations which in most cases are by unnamed sources, he noted.

He added that the work of the group of experts who compiled the report had left the government surprised at such level of incompetence and unprofessionalism for a panel put together by the UN, an organisation that the government considers serious and esteemed.

As such, we are left with no other option than to consider these allegations contemptible and malicious, stressed the minister.

Mr Membe maintained that Tanzania has never and will not even contemplate to indulge in such despicable, reckless and worthless causes of trafficking in arms, which fuel conflicts against friendly neighbours.

On the contrary, in conflict situations, Tanzania will always do what is best to do. Tanzania will join hands in efforts to end the conflicts rather than engage in acts which will fuel them. We will never add petrol to fire.

Indeed, this is what Tanzania has been doing and continues to do in this region for more than the past 15 years now. Our record on this is known and speaks for itself. Tanzania never indulges in double talk, explained the minister.

He said the country had done so much to advance the cause of peace in the Great Lakes Region and beyond, noting that since 1959 todate, it had provided safe haven for refugees fleeing wars, killings and persecution in their countries.

After doing all these, to get such accusations based on lies and hearsay, is the last thing we can expect from a group associated with the UN. This is very unfair to us. That is why we feel very much aggrieved, observed the minister.

The new UN report suggests that Tanzania was one of at least 25 countries that provide support to FDRL rebels. The countries, which include the United States are reportedly part of an international network helping DRC rebels to buy arms and transfer money.
Source; Dailynews